International versions
The immense popularity of Wheel of Fortune since its debut in 1975 has caused the format to be sold in many countries around the world. These international versions tend to deviate from the normal format and typically offer less (or more) money, depending on the available budget and puzzle difficulty. Many of these versions also had home games, usually localizations of the American games (and mostly the two Pressman eras) with near-identical parts. (Note that with perhaps the exception of the British and Australian versions, none of these versions will have an article on this Wiki. If you know a lot about a particular version and want to make a Wikia site all about its history, hosts, etc., then feel free to do so.) Argentina Tiempo Límite ATP runs, or ran, on America TV. Australia Probably the most well-known foreign iteration to those outside of its home country, the Aussie Wheel was a Reg Grundy production which ran on the Seven Network from 21 July 1981 to 18 June 2006 for 5,093 episodes. The show began with Ernie Sigley and Adriana Xenides on a set that (per Grundy's standard) heavily resembled the then-current American one, down to the green backdrops behind the players. In 1982, this was replaced by a set of starbursts nearly identical to the original American ones. The format was mostly the same as the American version, with a fanfare playing when the top dollar value was hit. There was also a different scoring system: while spins were not multiplied by how many times the letter was in the puzzle, the contestant never had to solve to keep his/her bank for that round. John Burgess replaced Sigley in June 1984, and he and Xenides became the face of Wheel in Australia. Also in 1984, the Bonus Round began having the day's winner spin a Golden Wheel to determine the prize they would play for; the puzzle itself gave the player two consonants and a vowel, then an additional consonant for every $2,000 the player had earned – up to $38,000 for all the consonants. Burgess' departure was abrupt and, he since claimed, it was an accident that he even found out about it: the show had decided to move to Sydney, and Burgess' last episode has him mentioning this with the pronoun "we", including himself. He was replaced by Tony Barber on 15 July 1996, and the format and set were overhauled (among other things, no more shopping; a near-vertical Wheel; and a "five envelopes" Bonus Round much like the American one). Viewers did not take to the changes, even after the Golden Wheel was reinstated, and moreso when Adriana left in November due to suffering from depression (Kerrie Friend filled in for her during this time). As a result, the old format returned in 1997 with Barber passing the torch to new host Rob Elliott. Adriana returned in July 1997, but ended up leaving permanently in June 1999 and was replaced by Sophie Falkiner. To celebrate its 22nd Anniversary, Wheel did a special three-week tournament from August 11-29, 2003. Representatives from the Australian states competed in a series of heats, and the biggest winners from those played for the title of "State Champion" and go for a Renault Clio in the Bonus Round; home viewers were also awarded $10,000 each day, for a total of $150,000. These episodes were the first to air in high-definition, and also debuted a new set of graphics (including new opening/closing credits); it is also known that Melanie Simon filled in for Falkiner for at least the final week. Elliott left shortly afterward, replaced in 2004 by Steve Oemcke; this also saw the introduction of a new, touch-based puzzle board. He and Falkiner left at the end of 2005, replaced by Larry Emdur and Laura Csortan for the entirety of 2006. As an interesting footnote, Fill in the Blank continued to be shown as "Blank" on the category strips through at least August 29, 2003. 2008 The programme returned briefly on the Nine Network from 26 May-27 June 2008 as Million-Dollar Wheel of Fortune, hosted by Tim Campbell and Kelly Landry. While the American version adopted the Million-Dollar Wedge almost immediately afterward, the Australian version only used it in Round 1, greatly decreasing the already-small chance of awarding it. Belgium Het Rad Der Fortuin (later Het Rad Van Fortuin) originally ran on BRT during the late 1970s, followed by revivals on VTM (1989-2007) and Canvas (2009). The show was hosted at various times by Mike Verdrengh, Walter Capiau, Bart Kaell, Luc Appermont, and Carlo Boszhard. Brazil One of the many Brazilian game shows hosted by Silvio Santos, Roletrando aired on SBT during the 1980s-90s and appears to have been at least partly based on the American format – by 1991, they began using a bonus envelope holder not unlike the American one in use at the time, albeit larger and with seven envelopes. 2003-''' The current version, Roda a Roda, airs on SBT and is hosted again by Santos. It is also heavily based on the American version. On 4 April 2010, the show introduced three 1 Milhão wedges placed by the contestants before Round 1; the top prize has been won at least twice, on 24 October 2010 and 8 May 2011. Two interesting differences for the current revival (called Roda a Roda Jequiti since at least 20 September 2009) are that 1) trilons are still used and 2) from at least 20 September 2009 to 14 November 2010, Santos would switch places with the hostess partway through each round. Two major differences are that 1) vowels are chosen in the same manner as consonants and 2) on at least the current version, the game has 12 rounds with a time limit for each; if time runs out in any round, it presumably moves to Speed-Up. Bulgaria Колелото на късмета (or Koleloto na kasmeta) appears to have been a one-time special hosted by Rumen Lukanov, airing January 18, 2010 on Nova TV. Canada A French-Canadian version, La Roue Chanceuse, was hosted by Donald Lautrec and Lyne Sarrazin. This iteration, airing on TQS from May 1, 1989 to 1992, borrowed and mixed various elements from the American one; among these were the Rounds 1-2 Wheel first used on daytime in September 1989 (although the show originally had a layout with $50 and $75) and even a localized "I'm a Wheel Watcher". It is known that the shopping format was used for a time. Chile La Rueda de la Fortuna, hosted by Rodolfo Torrealba, ran on Canal 13 from 1978-79. It is one of only two versions known to have debuted in the 1970s. Colombia La Rueda de La Suerte, hosted by Mauro Urquijo, aired on Canal Caracol from 1998-99. Croatia Oliver Mlakar hosted Kolo Sreće for HRT1 during the 1990s. Czech Republic Kolotoč airs, or has aired, on TV Nova. Denmark Lykkehjulet debuted on 1 October 1988 and quickly brought success to TV2, which aired the show. The program originally used the shopping format, but later switched to all-cash. The show was originally helmed by Michael Meyerheim (or Meyer Heim) and Pia Dresner, but they were replaced in 1989 by Bengt Burg and Carina Jensen. Jensen was replaced by Maria Hirse in 1995, and Burg was briefly replaced by Keld Heick from 1996-97. Although Burg returned in 1997, he left for good in 2000 and was replaced by Lars Herlow. According to the network, the show ran for 3,599 episodes and was canceled shortly after failing to appeal to a younger audience. The Wheel was slightly smaller, using only 22 wedges. When the show began, the top amount was 1,500 Kroner in early rounds and 2,500 in later ones; from 1990-94, the top value was always 3,000, but beginning in 1994 changed to have 5,000 as top amount from Round 2 onward. 5,000 became top value in all rounds from 1998 onward. (Vowels cost 500 Kroner.) Ecuador La Rueda de la Fortuna ran very briefly during 2004 on Ecuavisa, hosted by Pancho Cabanilla. Finland Finland, conversely, got a far more popular version named Onnenpyörä, hosted by Janne Porkka. This iteration aired on MTV3 (not related to the music-based cable network) from 1993-2001. France France was among the more successful countries regarding Wheel. La Roue de la Fortune debuted on 5 January 1987 as a daily series on TF1 hosted by Michel Robbe and Annie Pujol, and was heavily based on the American format (complete with shopping and even a similar Wheel color scheme). The only difference was that vowels cost ₣500 (Francs) and this was not deducted if the vowel was not in the puzzle. Robbe left in September 1987 and was replaced by Christian Morin, who was in turn replaced by Alexandre Debanne in January 1993. In January 1995, Debanne and Pujol were replaced by Olivier Chiabodo and Sandra Rossi, but Rossi apparently did not fit with the show and was replaced after a month by Frederique Calvez. The show ended in April 1997. '''2006 Revival The show returned on 7 August 2006 with Christophe Dechavanne and Victoria Silvstedt and ran until around 2010. As before, most of the format is copied from the American one, albeit using Euros. The normal top value on the Wheel was €500, and vowels cost €200. Among the Wheel wedges were Hold-Up (which allowed that player to steal an opponent's round winnings) and €0 (same as $0 on the 1973 Shopper's Bazaar pilot). 2012-''' Another revival premiered on January 2, 2012 as a daytime show. €300 is the normal top value on the Wheel, and vowels cost €100. * Round 1 (Mystery): played just like America, with a "bribe" of €50 per letter and one wedge hiding €500. * Round 2 (Caverne): landing on the Cavern space sends you to a prize-filled cavern, where the player has 30 seconds to collect as many prizes as they can without exceeding the value limit of €1,500. Afterward, they choose a consonant for €150. * Round 3 (Flash Cash): if the Flash Cash wedge is landed on, that player has 10 seconds to solve the puzzle for €1,000 minus €100 for each second elapsed. * Round 4 has several wedges: Weekend (a weekend trip to a popular vacation spot), Hold-Up (same as before), and one similar to the Million-Dollar Wedge that offers €60,000 in the Bonus Round. In the Bonus Round, the winning contestant plays for an electric car or cash of up to €30,000 (€60,000 if that player has the aforementioned wedge). The gameplay is otherwise exactly like the American version. Georgia იღბლიანი ბორბალი (or Igbliani Barbali) appears to have been a one-time special hosted by Duta Skhirtladze for Rustavi 2 on March 3, 2011. Germany Wheel also became popular in Germany on Sat.1 and Kabel Eins as the long-running Glücksrad, hosted at various times by Frederic Meisner, Peter Bond, and Thomas Ohrner. The show originally ran from November 7, 1988 to October 31, 2002, then revived on 9 Live from March 2004 to March 2005 with Meisner hosting. Greece Ο τροχός της τύχης ran on ANT1 from January 1, 1990 to 1996, then revived as O trokós tis túkis on MEGA from 1997-98. It was hosted at various times by George Polychroniou, Paul Chaikalis, Danis Katranidis, and Yiannis Koutrakis. From about 1993-94, to celebrate its third anniversary, the show changed its opening to a localized version of the 1992 American one, complete with that remix of "Changing Keys". Hungary Another popular version was Szerencsekerék, originally running from 1993-97 on MTV1 before jumping to TV2 until 2001, then returning for its current series in 2011 on Story4TV. Hosts include András Vízy, Gajdos Tamás, Viktor Klaussmann, and Árpa Attila. The original series' Wheel used 23 wedges, with three pegs each. Indonesia Roda Impian, hosted by Charles Bona Sirait, originally ran on SCTV from August 6, 2001 to August 2, 2002, then on antv from 2003 to July 29, 2005. Following this, the show was very briefly revived on Indosiar from January 2-March 3, 2006. '''2011 Revival Another revival was planned for MBC 4 to begin in December 2011 or January 2012, although it is currently unknown if these plans went through. Israel גלגל המזל (or Galgal HaMazal) ran on Channel 2 from 1994-2000, hosted by Erez Tal. A revival, מחזירים את הגלגל ("Return the Wheel"), aired in at least 2010. Strangely, at least the revival has the set reversed (Wheel at left, puzzle board at right). Even stranger is that the revival's Wheel has just one arrow, positioned in front of the host. Italy La Ruota Della Fortuna debuted in 1985 as one of several games played on Pentatlon, which aired on Canale 5 and was hosted by Mike Bongiorno. The Wheel used on this version had only 15 wedges. 1987-88 A brief run on Odeon TV from September 1987 to 1988, using the shopping element and hosted by Casti. 1989-2009 The more famous version debuted on Rete 4, with Bongiorno as host and Paola Barale as hostess. Sometime after late October 1991, the show moved to Italia 1 and Enrico Papi took over hosting duties, with Victoria Silvstedt (from the French version) at the puzzle board. Kurdistan A possibly one-time special aired in November or December 2008. Macedonia Тркало На Среќата (or Trkalo Na Srekata) ran briefly on A1 Channel in 2009, hosted by Igor Dzambazov and Natali Grubovic. Malaysia Roda Impian was another success for the franchise, airing on Astro Ria from 1996-2006. Originally hosted by Halim Othman and "Eja", Othman was replaced by Hani Mohsin in 2002. The show briefly returned in 2009 on TV3, hosted by "Kieran" and Fauziah Gaus. The program since went on hiatus. Mexico La Rueda de la Fortuna, hosted by Laura Flores, aired on Televisa from 1992-98. From about 1995-96, the show's opening was a localized version of the 1992 American one; oddly, they also used two puzzle boards during this period. The Netherlands Het rad van fortuin, originally hosted by Hans van der Togt, ran on RTL 4 from 1989-98 and at one point used a localized version of the 1989-92 American opening. Hostess included Leontine Borsato, Patricia Rietveld, and Cindy Pielstroom. The show was briefly revived in 2009, with Carlo Boszhard as host. New Zealand Wheel debuted on TV2 in February 1991 with hosts Phillip Leishman and Lana Coc-Kroft. The show began at 5:30 PM, the moved to TV ONE at 7:00 PM (previously held by $ale of the Century). In 1995, TV ONE expanded its newscast to a full hour and moved Wheel to TV2 at 6:00 PM, where it was unable to compete with news broadcasts and ended in 1996. 2008-09 The show returned on April 14, 2008, again on TV ONE, now hosted by Jason Gunn and Sonia Gray. It ended on May 2, 2009 due to low ratings, low advertiser revenue, and high production costs; an increased emphasis on the play-by-phone game "Speed Digits" (where Gray gave RSTLNE and Gunn gave a sixth consonant) is likely to have been a contributing factor, as it typically disrupted the game flow. Norway Lykkehjulet, hosted by Vendela Kirsebom for TV3, may be the same as the original Swedish Lyckohjulet with one contestant from Norway and a second from Sweden playing against each other. If so, this is the only known version of Wheel to have contestants from different countries playing against each other (besides Canadians playing on the American version) and the only one to regularly differentiate from the normal three-player format. There also appears to have been a one-time special that aired February 26, 2007. Panama La Rueda de la Fortuna, hosted by Rassiel Rodriguez, briefly ran on Telémetro in 2001. Peru La Ruleta de la Suerte premiered in late November 2011 on Frecuencia Latina, with host Cristian Rivero. The Philippines Wheel originally aired on ABC-5 from October 2001 to October 2002, hosted by Rustom Padilla and Victoria London. This version used the Surprise wedge and Free Spin wedge (though treated like the token), along with the W-H-E-E-L envelopes and RSTLNE given automatically in the Bonus Round. The logo was the American one used from 1995-97. 2008 The show was revived on ABS-CBN from January 14-July 25, 2008 for 140 episodes, hosted by Kris Aquino with Zara Aldana and Jasmine Fitzgerald alternating at the puzzle board. This version closely resembled the American format then in use, with the Bonus Round replacing R with K (the latter is more frequent in Philippine languages). The most notable difference is the Power wedge (known as "Hold Up" in other international versions that use it), which, after calling a correct letter, allows a player to steal all current round winnings from an opponent. If neither opponent had any money, the player would still need to call a correct letter at no value. Poland Kolo Fortuny was a TVP2 show which debuted on 2 October 1992, originally hosted by Wojciech Pijanowski and Magda Masny. Pijanowski left the show in 1995 and was replaced by Paweł Wawrzecki, who was himself quickly replaced by Stanisław Mikulski until the show's end on 1 September 1998. The show debuted during Poland's period of Zloty hyperinflation, resulting in the top amounts being zł5,000,000/zł12,500,000/zł17,500,000/zł25,000,000 until 1995, when the "new" Zloty was introduced and the top amounts hence became zł500/zł1,250/zł1,750/zł2,500 (the change was either before or during Wawrzecki's tenure). From 1992-96, the Wheel had 21 wedges with three pegs each; this was decreased to 20 wedges with two pegs each when the top amounts were changed to zł500/zł1,400/zł2,000 in 1996, and the Wheel also adopted a new color scheme. One major difference from the American version was the Bonus Round, played for a car through 1996 and a zł10,000 prize package from 1997-98: the seven envelopes (spelling out F-O-R-T-U-N-A on a pedestal much like the American one used from late 1990) only determined which five consonants and one vowel the player would receive at the outset, after which s/he then called for another three-and-a-vowel. Unlike any other known adaptation of the Bonus Round, the player had just one guess at the puzzle solution in 15 seconds. By 1993, the seven envelopes were reduced to four (now spelling K-O-L-O with a star between each) and gave just three-and-a-vowel. For a brief time, the graphics were altered to show the chosen envelope's letters and the contestant's picks at the same time along with the 15-second clock, although this was dropped by Spring 1994. At some point between Winter 1995 and Spring 1997, the time limit was reduced to 10 seconds, the envelope podium was shrunk to a short, domed style, and the player was not given any free letters. 2007-09 A revival aired on TVP2 from 29 October 2007 to 27 October 2009, helmed by Krzysztof Tyniec and Marta Lewandowska. The format used here more closely resembled the American format, including the ability to give unlimited answers in the Bonus Round. zł1,500 was the top amount in all rounds. Portugal A Roda da Sorte originally ran on RTP1 during the 1990s, then returned briefly in September 2008 on SIC. Both versions were hosted by Herman José. Romania Roata Norocului, hosted by Mihai Călin, aired on Pro TV from December 1997 to May 1999. Russia По́ле Чуде́с (or Polé Chudes, literally "The Field of Wonders") has been airing on Channel One since 25 October 1990. Originally hosted by Vladislav Listyev, he was replaced in 1991 by Leonid Yakubovich and Rimma Agafoshina. The Wheel on this version is a drum, and scores are kept in points (although they are not shown during the game). Prize wedges offer that player 2,000 points or a prize, but the latter can only be taken at the cost of leaving the game (as does solving a puzzle incorrectly). Three puzzles are played with three new contestants each, and the three winners play another puzzle to determine the champion. Polé Chudes is the only iteration of Wheel currently on the air which uses the shopping format, done only by the final winner. The player then has the option to play a Super Game for an additional prize spun on the drum, with failure forfeiting all prizes already purchased. Singapore Wheel of Fortune appears to have been a one-time special hosted by Bernard Lim on May 8, 2002 for Channel 5. Slovakia Koleso šťastia ran on STV, then VTV, from 1994-97, hosted at various times by Jozef Pročko, Tibor Hlista, Roman Feder, Laco Híveš, Roman Pomajbo, and Peter Marcin. Oddly, Marcin's hosting duties appear to have been simply voiceovers, not unlike the "hosts" of 100%. Slovenia Kolo sreče aired during the 1990s on TV SLO1. Spain La Ruleta de la Fortuna originally ran from at least June 30, 1990 to 1997 on Telecinco, with the current version (La Ruleta de la Suerte) airing since 2006 on Antena 3 (which also produced the original). Originally hosted by Mayra Gómez Kemp, subsequent hosts include Ramón García, Irma Soriano, Bigote Arrocet, Mabel Lozano, Belén Rueda, Fernando Esteso, Jesús Vázquez, Andoni Ferreño, Goyo González, Carlos Lozano, and Diana Fernández. Sweden Lyckohjulet originally aired on TV3 during the 1990s, then revived as Miljonlotteriet Lyckohjulet on TV8 for a brief run in 2010. The original run was likely the same as Norway's Lykkehjulet (see above), played in the same studio with one contestant from Sweden and one from Norway playing against each other. Taiwan While Mahjong Fortune is not a licensed version of Wheel, it nonetheless heavily borrows from the franchise. One major difference is that the Wheel is replaced by a Pachinko machine, with the player in control rolling a Lucky Ball down to hopefully land on a money amount. The other major difference is to the puzzles: they are actually configurations of mahjong blocks, which may perhaps make the show purely based on luck. This version also has several "variety show" elements, a typical staple of Taiwan programming. Turkey Çarkıfelek, hosted by Tarık Tarcan and Mehmet Ali Erbil, debuted on June 1, 1992 as a Show TV program, then moved to FOX Turk a few years later. It is known to have ended in the late 1990s. United Kingdom The British Wheel aired on ITV and began on 19 July 1988 with Nicky Campbell and Angela Ekaette hosting. The format was similar, albeit with points, although Free Spin remained a wedge throughout the show's run. Solving a puzzle allowed that contestant to pick an onstage prize to be kept regardless of outcome. Carol Smillie replaced Ekaette in 1989, followed by Jenny Powell in 1995. In 1997, Bradley Walsh replaced Campbell as host; Walsh's style, a cross between Pat Sajak and Edd Byrnes, proved unfitting for the show and he was replaced by John Leslie in 1998. Leslie and Powell left in 2000, replaced by Paul Hendy and Terri Seymour until the show's end on 21 December 2001. The Bonus Round originally used three envelopes (A-B-C, offering a prize, new car, or £3,000 in at least 1988); by 1994, the envelopes were dropped in favor of a car and £10,000. The envelopes returned by 1995 (after Powell was hired), albeit just two and with the cash award increased to £20,000. By 2000, near the end of Leslie's tenure, the envelopes were done away with in favor of £2,000. The opening sequence was originally unique, but at some point between 1998 and 2000 changed to the American "marquee" one used in 1998; this was dropped by 2001 in favor of another "original" sequence. Venezuela A version called La Estrella de la Fortuna, hosted at various times by Orlando Urdaneta, Henry Soto, and Luis Velazco, aired on Venevisión during the 1980s. Vietnam Chiếc nón kỳ diệu has been running on VTV3 since June 2006, and from at least 2007-09 was heavily based on Wheel 2000 (the only known adaptation of that version). It appears that more recent episodes are based on the regular nighttime format. Category:Wheel of Fortune Category:Lists